


to the girl i was before (things will get better)

by sakurasgf (sanacult)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Festivals, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Grief/Mourning, Lots of Lesbianism, Mutual Pining, Post-Chapter 698 (Naruto), Post-War, Sharing a Bed, Yamanaka Ino-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:55:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27884122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanacult/pseuds/sakurasgf
Summary: It's like muscle memory, crouching down in front of her. Sakura opens her eyes at that, and when she looks straight into Ino's, it's hard to breathe. "Hey," Ino manages to say."Hey," Sakura answers with a ghost of a smile on her face."You okay, Billboard Brow?" Sakura chuckles at that and slightly pushes Ino's shoulder. She wipes her cheeks and sighs."Yeah. It's been a long week, that's all." Ino can hear something more behind this, but she's learned to not push Sakura into talking about things she doesn't want to. She can wait. "You, Ino-pig?"or: War is over, and Ino tries to get her life together. Sakura doesn't make it easier.
Relationships: Akimichi Chouji & Nara Shikamaru & Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Yamanaka Ino & Yamanaka Ino's Mother
Comments: 12
Kudos: 136





	to the girl i was before (things will get better)

**Author's Note:**

> yes i am writing naruto fics in 2020 because this year simply does not feel real.
> 
> just a disclaimer i didnt want to put in the tags; there are mentions of shikamaru smoking and sakura gets tipsy (if you dont want to read the second one, skip from the line "They end up..." to "Years ago...")!! i also recommend listening to after the war by reinaeiry while reading (the title comes from the song)
> 
> hope you enjoy!! and thanks to sammy for putting up with me when i was working on this<33

When Ino opens her eyes after getting out of the Divine Tree's cocoon, the sunlight blinds her momentarily. Her skin is sticky and covered in pieces of the branch, and her chakra's flowing way slower than usual. She's still in a slight daze from the Infinite Tsukuyomi and it feels like she's floating in some space between the illusion and real world — like she's looking at herself from outside of her body. All of the noises around her sound muffled, everything spinning once she looks up from the ground. Ino closes her eyes again and counts to ten slowly, focusing on the medical chakra she managed to store during the battle. She's not on the same level as Sakura, but she can still heal herself for the most part. There's a familiar itch on her body where the freshest of wounds start to close or scar and she can feel all the internal injuries she could find get better. She still has to see a medic later, but this will do for now. This time, the dizziness is gone when she looks up. 

Everyone around is different kinds of confused, looking at each other and exchanging quiet conversations. Some are peeling off the remains of the Divine Tree's branches from themselves, some are aiding their friends and some are hugging their loved ones close. She looks to the side, where she last stood with the rest of her team, and spots Choji and Shikamaru. It's a relief, knowing they're fine, like an enormous rock falling from her heart. It's a relief knowing they're real this time. She summons the last bits of her strength and runs towards them, throwing her arms around their necks. 

"You're alive," she croaks out, tears threatening to come out. She wouldn't know what to do if she lost them as well. For a moment, she just listens to their rhythmic heartbeats and lets their hands on her back ground her. _They're here, warm and breathing._

"Hey," Choji says after a while, "it's okay now." Ino nods and releases them from the hug. She wants to ask if they're injured somewhere, but Shikamaru is faster. 

"We won. Well, _Team Seven_ won, but we can't let them get all the credit." Ino chuckles and drops down to finally sit after days of being on her legs all the time. They won the war. There is nothing left of Madara or Ten Tails or whatever the hell happened after they got trapped in the cocoons. They're safe and they can go back to their homes now without any danger looming over the world. She sighs happily and it's only then that she feels how sore her whole body is and how _exhausted_ the past month left her. 

"Are you guys hurt somewhere? Anything major, external or internal? I think I can squeeze out some medical chakra for you." 

"We're fine, but you look like you're about to pass out," Shikamaru snickers. 

"Here, let me help you." Choji picks her up and soon she's piggybacking him, the three of them heading towards the main camp. "What did you see in your Infinite Tsukuyomi?" he asks, kicking a rock out of his way. "Me, a lot of food. The most amazing cuisine I ever saw, I'm not kidding. And the girl who prepared the meals was pretty too…" His gaze is dreamy and both Ino and Shikamaru laugh. "But you two weren't there, so it sucked." 

"How sweet of you," Shikamaru laughs. "I saw all of us and Asuma, but that's about it. It's too troublesome to remember everything." He takes out his lighter and starts playing with it, the silver reflecting an emotion in his eyes that only the three of them know. "Ino?" 

"I… Don't remember." 

"So it was about Sakura," Choji states and Shikamaru nods in agreement. Ino immediately goes red and punches both of them in the arms, barely reaching Shikamaru. 

"I hate both of you." 

When they arrive at the camp most of their friends are there already. They spot Hinata on the side with the rest of her team, crying. "I'll go and see what happened. Choji, carry Ino to the medics for a check-up," Shikamaru says and goes straight towards Team Eight. Ino wants to protest, but Choji is already moving towards the biggest tent, packed full with soldiers. Shizune sees them and gestures to come closer; Ino is glad it's not Tsunade, who would probably smack her head and scream at her for overusing mind control and almost running out of chakra, allowing the enemy to strike her easily. Choji helps her get down and the dizziness is back once she's on the ground. She uses his arm as a leverage and lets Shizune sit her down. 

"For someone who worked with Tsunade-sama for a year, you really don't care for chakra depletion," she remarks and Ino wants to disappear. It was stupid of her to go beyond her limit during the battle, she admits, but it was her only choice; you don't take breaks on the battlefield. 

"Let's just get it over with, please?" 

There aren't many major injuries except for a broken rib from when a Zetsu attacked her from behind. She managed to heal most of it before, but Shizune makes sure it's not dangerous in any way. Ino pretends to not feel the chakra she passes into her body. 

"That should do it. Make sure she rests a lot." She looks at Choji who only nods his head. 

They exit the tent and Shikamaru's there already, pale and shifting his weight on one of his legs. They rush to his side in a second, supporting him. Ino's prepared for the worst news; he wouldn't look like this if it wasn't anything serious. Choji doesn't let him speak until they find a smaller tent where Shikamaru can sit down and breathe. Ino squeezes his hand while Choji soothes his back until he regains some color in his face. 

"It's Neji," he whispers after some time, and Choji shares a look with her. "He got hit with one of the spikes while protecting Hinata. The medics are doing their best, but if he doesn't make it through the night… The chances are small." His voice trembles ever so slightly. 

"Maru… I'm so sorry." Ino hugs him and Choji follows. She can feel Shikamaru going limp in their arms, a sigh escaping him. It's probably the most comfortable position he's been in since the last few days, and Ino wouldn't be surprised if he fell asleep. They stay like this for who knows how long, but when they let go it's already dark outside. "You should go and rest for a bit, you know? Maybe take a nap." 

"No offense, but I don't think I'll even be able to lay down in peace until morning. I'll probably go join Hinata in front of the medical tent he's in." 

"Do you want us to go wait with you?" Choji asks, voice full of worry. 

"Yeah, it's not like we'll be able to fall asleep either. We'll keep you both company." 

"No, you two should rest. It's a… personal matter."

"Like we ever had _personal_ matters before," Choji says. "But I understand. At least let me walk you there so we know you didn't pass out mid-way." 

They leave and Ino just slumps to the floor, head resting on the bench they sat on before. It dawns onto her that she was so focused on herself and her losses during the battle that she forgot she wasn't the only one fighting. It's a miracle that out of their group of friends only Neji ended up so badly injured; but is it really only him? So far they only saw him and Team Eight. Who knows what happened to the rest of Team Guy or Team Seven? _Who knows what happened to Sakura?_ She jolts up and is ready to go look for her when she realizes she doesn't even know where to start searching. She's either helping the medics or talking with her team somewhere (or laying on a hospital bed in one of the tents). Ino sits down again and groans; she really needs rest. 

She takes off her vest and gathers some sheets she found at the back of the tent to make a small space for her and Choji to sleep on. She lays her head on her vest, smelling like dirt and sweat and blood, and closes her eyes. _She has to get some rest._

She wakes up to Choji coming back, the moon hanging high in the sky. Shizune found them somehow and decided to nap in the other corner of the tent, along with one of the younger assistants that Ino doesn't quite know. She's not surprised at all; there's a lot of people around the camp and finding a place for oneself is near impossible. At least someone they know shares the small space with them. 

"How's Maru?" she asks as Choji sits down next to her and slowly takes off his vest and the metal parts of his uniform. 

"Haven't seen him in this state since Asuma. He sat down next to Hinata and didn't say anything, just stared at the tent like he was hypnotized." 

"It's not like we can blame him. First his dad, now Neji… I'm surprised he was still able to tell us what happened in a calm voice." Ino stares at the ceiling. She understands him perfectly; losing a father was a painful hit, one that still hasn't quite registered in her mind, but they both knew they had it coming and had the chance to say goodbye. But this was unexpected, a possibility that Shikamaru probably blocked out while going into the battlefield. He doesn't know if Neji will make it, nor does he know if they will be able to talk for the last time. It's a miracle he hasn't broken down yet. All they can do is hope for the best to happen and support him no matter what. 

But at least he knows where Neji is. Ino has no idea where Sakura is, whether she's hurt or alive, and it's making her lose her mind. She knows Sakura won't go down so easily, but even Naruto had problems with Madara, and knowing her, Sakura joined him and Sasuke in the fight. She turns towards Choji, hoping he brought some news with him. 

"Do you know what's with the others?" 

"Guy sensei's legs got crushed, but no one else suffered worse injuries. Team Seven is somewhere with Tsunade-sama and Kakashi sensei. They're fine." And it means as much as _Sakura's alive, stop worrying._

"Thank the gods," she whispers. "Goodnight, Choji." She reaches out and squeezes his hand, the touch grounding her and reminding her it's okay now. 

"Night, Ino."

It takes her long to fall asleep again. 

* * *

The few days of the trip back to Konoha blur into one and Ino doesn't really feel like she exists during that time. She set herself a routine: wake up, eat, walk on the sidelines of the group, _don't think about dad,_ sleep. She occasionally talks to Choji and Shikamaru, or helps the injured who have trouble walking. When she finally steps foot onto the familiar path leading to the front gates, she comes back to reality and it all weighs her down. 

There is a crowd waiting for them outside. They're cheering and trying to find their family members. Some are crying, the news too sudden and painful. It makes Ino nauseous — _she has to tell mom_. She wishes she didn't have to, but there was no time to send messengers during the fight. It's the last thing she can do for her father. 

Yamanaka Ayame is standing at the back, two bouquets in her hands. She smiles at Ino and for a moment Ino feels less tired. She runs up to her and hugs her tightly. She's still tired and needs a long shower, but she finally feels safe and _home_ , as if her mom's arms are shielding her from everything that happened just a few days ago. 

"Mom…" she starts, her voice shaky. She wants to leave her head on her shoulder, but it doesn't feel right. So Ino puts on her shinobi mask that makes her look more brave than she is and looks straight into her mother's eyes. "I'm sorry. Dad… They targeted the headquarters before we could react—"

"Don't say more," Ayame interrupts. Ino sees the pain in her eyes and it hurts more than the broken rib. She wants to cry but she has to stay strong for her. She's the only family left. "Let's go home, Ino." And Ino goes, ignoring the noise behind her. She'll talk to her friends later. 

The house feels… weird. It looks the same way as it did when she was leaving, but _different_ at the same time. Her dad's things are still there, creating an illusion that he's going to come back. Ino doesn't let herself dwell on it, immediately going to the bathroom to take a long, long bath. Her mom informs her that she's going to talk with the older clan members and that it's going to take long before Ino shuts her brain off and lets the water wash away everything, from dirt to guilt. 

It's late when she finally gets out. Her mother still isn't home, so Ino sits on the couch and stares at the wall in front of her. She feels numb, like she's not part of everything that's happened. She hears the front door open and doesn't flinch once someone sits down next to her. 

"Your mom said you could use some company," Shikamaru explains. Ino nods her head. They stay like this for some time, staring mindlessly at a point somewhere in front of them, until Ino lays her head on his shoulder. 

"They could've left that place instead of giving us a plan," she whispers. Shikamaru doesn't stiffen, instead just grabs her hand. 

"I know." 

And it's enough. Ino's mask cracks and falls with the tears. She sobs into Shikamaru's shoulder, wetting his whole sleeve. _It hurts_ and she knows her father's last words will replay in her dreams for the rest of her life. He's not going to open the front door again and announce he's finally home in his serious, work voice. He's not going to fall asleep while watching the TV or going through various documents again. He's not going to take care of the garden again, nor will he experiment with bouquet arrangements again. 

She knows she should've been prepared for something like this as a soldier; at least that's what others will say. Shinobi are prepared for losses and don't show emotions, after all. But she's _seventeen_ and never asked to fight for her life and _the existence of the whole world_. But she saw her father as invincible. But it all happened too fast. 

Shikamaru understands. He doesn't say anything, because they both know words are useless here. They're not going to lessen the pain or bring back the dead. Instead, he hugs her until she stops shaking, until she's too tired to cry anymore. "Go to sleep," he says into the crown of her head. Ino shakes her head slowly.

"You can't hold it all in, you know? It'll eat you alive." She knows how badly Asuma's death affected him, and she knows this is even worse. She and Choji can't let him go down this path again. 

Shikamaru just laughs. "Don't worry, it'll choke half-way. We have more important things than me to take care of now." 

" _Stop this,_ " she snaps. "Stop acting like you're fine when we all know you're not. You're allowed to cry and scream and feel like you don't want to fall back into your workaholic routine right away. For Sage's sake Shikamaru, you lost your—"

"Ino." His tone is harsh. "Can we not talk about how I should handle what's in my own head?" She doesn't need to use her jutsu to know she crossed a certain line. _Gods_ , Shikamaru lost his father too and decided to be strong for others just like Ino _herself_ , but she just told him how he should grieve. She wants to apologize right away, but Shikamaru's faster. "You must be tired. Let's get you to sleep." 

Shikamaru leaves only after making sure she's asleep and the house is locked properly. Ino still wakes up in the middle of the night, her father's face and voice being too much to bear. She'll get used to the dreams, she knows, just like how she doesn't mind seeing the illusion of Asuma's blood on her hands when she washes them. For now, though, they're still too fresh to ignore. 

She sits up and takes a few deep breaths. She could get out of bed and join her mother in the kitchen — the light from the hallway is seeping through under her door — but they both need to be alone tonight, she thinks. It's their last moment of private grief before the whole clan starts wearing black robes tomorrow and various ceremonies before the funeral start. While the Naras put emphasis on privacy surrounding the dead and their families and make it clear that the ones mourning shouldn't be interrupted and the Akimichis think of death as nothing else but transition to a better place and a more happy than not occasion, the Yamanakas treat the death of their clan members as more or less a tragedy and mourn openly and loudly. 

She envies Shikamaru and Choji for that. Shikamaru can stay with his mother until the day of the funeral and make peace with his new reality without any prying eyes and Choji will pray at the shrine with his family members and then honour the dead with a feast. Ino won't have that luxury; tomorrow, she will wear a black robe and kneel in front of the house for hours, listening to the clan elders recite various farewells to her father to mark the start of other ceremonies. She won't be able to share her pain with her family like Shikamaru, because interrupting any of the farewells would be disrespectful, nor will she find peace in the gods like Choji, since she was never a very religious person. 

So she lets her mother be alone with her grief and spends the night hugging a teddy bear her dad brought her from one of his missions when she was still a little kid. 

* * *

The morning sky is gray when she wakes up, the fog covering the landscape behind the window. Ino's movements are slow and she looks like she's out of it. The clothes fit loosely, so much weight lost during the war, and the black of the kimono makes her even paler. Her mom helps her put her hair up, keeping it in place with a special hairpin with an engraved bush clover. Ino pretends she doesn't see the bags under her eyes in the mirror. 

When they exit the house, everyone else is there already. They bow to the clan first, then kowtow on the wooden porch. Her grandfather, Yamanaka Inoue, starts reciting the well-known formulas. They have numerous scrolls as old as Konoha, and the children of the clan are taught their contents as soon as they are six. Ino knows them by heart, can even recite them in the same loud and guttural voice, but they sound so strange now, when what is normally a blank space is replaced with her dad's name. 

First, he's called a cherished son; second, a loving husband; third, a caring father; fourth, a responsible leader; fifth, a hero. These are the most important farewells, after them come the ones from extended family. Ino tries to shut the noise out, tries to focus on the rain beginning to hit her back, but it's useless. The words feel like they're being drilled deeper into her skull with every single syllable. She wants it to stop, wants to go back to her room and hug the worn out teddy bear that still faintly smells like her dad's cologne, but she can't. There is another ceremony planned for today — prayers held in the shrine, only for the closest family, and Ino has to stay calm and collected until then. 

It's nearing dawn when she's finally back home. Her mom doesn't look up at her from where she's making tea when Ino sits at the kitchen table. It's quiet except for the sounds of boiling water and clinking cups, and it somehow soothes her. As the smell of ginger fills the air, Ino lets herself remember the evenings she spent with her dad when she was still going to the Academy. No matter how tired he was, he always had the time to help her with homework or to hear about all the things that happened during the day, always with a mug of ginger tea in hand. She lets herself believe that he's going to sit on the chair opposite of hers in a minute and tell her about how hard work was today. 

Instead, her mom places a cup in front of her and sits down. Ino tenses involuntarily; she's never been on very good terms with her mother, especially ever since the chunin exams. There's a wall between them, but it's never been so visible as it is now (Ino knows why — earlier, the wall took the shape of her father). But there is something else in the air too, and Ino feels like it might change something if she allows it to. 

Her mother sighs, then waits a few seconds. "You know, I never wanted the both of you to be on active duty," she says, and Ino hears something new in her voice. It's not her usual tone, dignified and sophisticated, just like a clan leader's wife, and the vocabulary reminds Ino more of what she'd hear in the mission room than in the Yamanaka compound. It's _raw_ and laced with regret. 

"I could stand your father going on missions," she continues, "because I knew he was capable of making it out alive. Besides, I knew what I was getting into when I fell in love with him." There's a ghost of a smile on her face, something Ino hasn't seen in _years_. "But when I heard that _you_ wanted to go to the Academy… I didn't want to let you go at first. I've seen too many mothers outlive their children during the war, and I didn't want to be one of them." Ino thinks it's pretense at first and wants to cut in, but her mother is faster: "But now that I look at you, I want to punch some sense into my old self." 

Ino laughs at that, for the first time in days. Her mom's smile seems to be more confident now, too. "It's not like I didn't have any doubts," Ino says, gaze fixed on the table. "There were moments where I wanted to throw the ninja gear away and never look at it again, but… I wanted to make dad proud." 

A hand reaches for hers across the table. "You've made him more proud than you can imagine. You're a perfect Yamanaka heir." 

And just like that, things are going to change, Ino thinks. Just like that, they're going to get better.

* * *

Ino sees people other than the Yamanaka clan on the day of the funeral. She sees Shikamaru and Choji for the first time in five days; they don't exchange many words, just hug each other and stand in silence. The loss still hurts, but they're finally feeling other emotions than grief as they stand in front of the graves. Ino holds her mom tightly through it all, like she's shielding her from everything. She breaks down as the hole in the ground is being filled with dirt, and Ino realizes this is truly an end. And a beginning, although hard. 

It takes Tsunade a long time to read all the names. It takes Naruto even longer to talk about the Uchihas. At last, Ino lets her mom go with the clan elders and stays behind, taking the path leading through the less crowded area of Konoha. She hasn't been there in a long time, but it's the road where her dad taught her how to ride a bike and where she practiced different techniques for the Academy with Choji. 

It's also where she met Sakura for the first time, and Ino's hit with a sense of deja vu when she sees her there again, on the same side of the street. Her eyes are closed, face lifted up and bathing in the moonlight, tears drying on her cheeks. She hasn't seen Sakura ever since she got caught up in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and seeing her safe and in one piece lifts an invisible weight from Ino's heart. 

It's like muscle memory, crouching down in front of her. Sakura opens her eyes at that, and when she looks straight into Ino's, it's hard to breathe. "Hey," Ino manages to say. 

"Hey," Sakura answers with a ghost of a smile on her face. 

"You okay, Billboard Brow?" Sakura chuckles at that and slightly pushes Ino's shoulder. She wipes her cheeks and sighs. 

"Yeah. It's been a long week, that's all." Ino can hear something more behind this, but she's learned to not push Sakura into talking about things she doesn't want to. She can wait. "You, Ino-pig?"

"Could be better," she says and sits down on the ground. Sakura lets out a hum and nods. Her eyes are closed again and Ino feels like she could stare at her like this forever. "You don't want to go home, do you?" She knows she's hit a jackpot once the words are out of her mouth; Sakura tenses up and takes a deep breath. "Me too. But I know where we _could_ go."

They end up at the BBQ bar Team Ten used to spend their free time in as genin, and Sakura orders alcohol as soon as she spots a waiter; it's a bad habit she picked up from The Fifth. Ino focuses on not burning the meat as she listens to the sound of a cup being placed down along with a bottle. Haruno takes a long sip straight out of the latter and sets it down again, and Ino knows she wants to talk. Ino will listen. 

"They're keeping Sasuke in prison with no guests allowed. I saw him yesterday when they told me to check if he was still alive, because no one cared enough to even _bring him food_ ," she starts, and Ino can feel her blood beginning to boil. She was never too fond of Sasuke, but there are boundaries even to treating an (supposed) enemy of the state. Sending _Sakura_ out of all people to check up on him after a week was going too far as well. "They put him in a straitjacket and a blindfold. They didn't even bother to heal his injuries, Ino. I couldn't feel his heartbeat at first." 

Sakura's hand is shaking despite her voice being as calm as ever and all Ino can do is put her own over it. If someone heard her, they'd think she's still the twelve year old girl in love with her teammate, but it's not it (at least that's what Ino tells herself, because Sakura never said anything about being over Sasuke). Sakura cares about him as much as she cares about Naruto or any of her friends, even if their relationship is difficult now, and Ino knows how bad it feels to see someone close to you like this. 

"You did something, right?" Sakura grins. 

"I went to Hokage's office and made the biggest scene they've seen in there. Broke a chair or two and told Kakashi sensei to start using his brain at least for when Tsunade-sama is busy with the hospital." The grin fades. "Gods, I was so _angry_." 

"You had every right to be." Ino starts moving the food onto their plates. "He's your… teammate, after all." She takes a bite before Sakura starts talking again. Ino can _feel_ the weight sitting on Haruno's shoulders. 

"Naruto doesn't want to talk to anyone. Iruka sensei was the only person he actually spoke with ever since we got to Konoha, and it was mostly sensei talking." Sakura starts picking on her fingernails. "He's just staring out of the window all the time. I know he's probably been through the most out of all of us and has to work things out with himself but… I'm still worried."

Sometimes, Ino wishes there was no family tradition and she was on Sakura's team instead of these two emotionally constipated morons. "He'll be fine, trust me. Getting out of trouble is his thing, right? What you should be worried about right now is yourself," Ino finishes as she holds up a piece of Sakura's favorite meat with her chopsticks.

Sakura leans in and takes a bite, and Ino has to fake coughing to cover up how flustered she is. It's nothing new — when Ino was helping at the hospital or during the war in the medic tents, they were both so tired or busy they just weren't able to eat by themselves — but this time there is no excuse and Ino is stupidly in love. 

When they finally make it out of the bar, it's way past midnight and Sakura has drunk enough to be feeling tipsy (Ino doesn't like the fact that she drinks, has told her that many times, but Sakura clings to it just like Shikamaru clings to his cigarettes). Ino walks her home to make sure she doesn't start any fights or fall asleep somewhere, and tries to ignore her heart jumping around her chest as she puts a hand around Sakura's waist.

The walk is peaceful, Sakura sometimes giggling to herself, and it's only when they're standing in front of her front door that it gets serious. Sakura looks her into the eyes and leans in, and for a second Ino lets herself be lost in the warmth radiating from her, lets herself think that maybe _Sakura's finally going to kiss her,_ when Sakura stops inches away and opens her mouth. 

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you last week," she says, ruining the moment completely. "And thank you for still helping me get my mind off of all the problems I've been having. You're a great friend, Ino." The hug she receives isn't as rewarding as it should be, and Ino truly, wholeheartedly _hates_ alcohol. 

* * *

Years ago, when she was still in Academy, she found a really old, worn out book at the library. She doesn't remember much — she was never good at things like this — but she does remember one line very well: _The king has died, long live the king._

It rings in her mind as she heads towards her grandfather's house with her mom. The clan elders want to discuss the choice of a new clan head, and Ino knows it won't be quick or easy. When they arrive, she takes a seat in front of her grandfather and uncles and takes a deep breath. She can see some of her cousins sitting further away from her and clenches a fist on her lap. Of course they won't let her feel confident. 

That's the thing about the Yamanakas she hates — no matter how everyone outside and even inside of the clan moves forward, they're still reluctant about making women into leaders. But she won't let them have their way; it's her rightful place as a clan head and she's going to _take_ it. 

"Ino, you already know that this ceremony looks different under normal circumstances. The current clan head picks the successor and the decision is made just like that," her grandfather states and Ino nods her head. "However, due to your father's death, this procedure is impossible, and the decision making is left to us, the elders. We must carefully evaluate and compare the skills of all possible candidates, so I hope you will not hold a grudge against us when you're not picked for the position."

" _If._ "

"Excuse me?"

"You meant to say _if_ I'm not picked. You made it sound like I won't make it anyway." 

Her mom nudges her with her elbow under the table, but Ino doesn't waver. She knows her mom doesn't want to argue with them, knows they never liked her and will do everything to get rid of her genes in the main branch, but this is about _Ino_ , not anyone else. She's answered with a slight nod, and the "evaluation" begins. She knows her family is powerful; they're not a noble clan for nothing, but she's also aware of the difference in their skills. 

After two hours of sitting in complete silence, Ino has enough. She wasn't Tsunade's apprentice for long, but she _did_ learn how to make old bags like her uncles hurry up. She doesn't have the monstrous strength to scare them with like Sakura, but she has the skill of the head of the Analysis Team (and all the tips from Ibiki-san). She slams the table as she stands up, and scans the whole room with her eyes. 

"That's it. I don't know what you have written in that scroll so far and if any part of it is fair, but I'm not staying here for gods know how long to find out. In the span of a few days I managed to master techniques of the Yamanaka clan that most of you had deemed impossible. I mind controlled a pseudo Nine Tails _and_ the actual Ten Tails. I created a new sensory ability from scratch."

She takes a deep breath. _You're strong willed,_ Asuma's last words replay in her head. "I surpassed the former head of the clan at the age of seventeen, and the only person who could _actually_ be compared to me in terms of inheriting this title was Fu, who you sent to the Root and left to die."

The air is so thick she could probably cut it with a kunai. There are looks of displeasure, surprise, shame even, but no one dares to speak. Ino laughs, short and dry. _Pathetic_. 

She leaves.

* * *

One of the best aspects of the T&I Force's building was the gym; spacious, completely soundproof and almost always empty, which allowed Ino to spend the whole morning on letting out all her frustration on a punching bag. 

She's following a routine Guy gave them all before the second chunin exams when Ibiki enters the room. She doesn't stop until he picks the spot next to her on the mat to start stretching (finding out that _Ibiki-san_ out of all people does yoga was a bit of a surprise at first, but now it's a common sight for her). 

"Tough week?" 

"More like _my grandfather thinks he's the second coming of Six Paths and knows everything_ week," she answers and sits down. "I had to get Tsunade-sama to recommend me for the clan head." 

"That… Truly is tough." Ibiki hands her a water bottle. "But you know, if they ever give you too much trouble… You have the whole department on your side." Ino laughs. He's not the head of T&I for nothing. "Go take a shower now, we have a lot of work to do. Genma and Anko brought back most of the people from Orochimaru's hideouts."

Ino groans. "I really should've thought twice before choosing the Intelligence Division over the hospital." 

Ino knows what people from hideouts mean; she's seen what was inside of Karin's mind and it was a _nightmare_. But it's also the only way to help these people. The more evidence on Orochimaru they have, the better. They might not be able to kill him for now, but there are plenty of ways to make him suffer and Tsunade-sama has been making a list since yesterday. 

As she puts on the heavy, grey uniform, Ino prepares herself for the worst. She's seen a lot already; children with bloodline limits having blood and chakra tests done so frequently they could barely move; people locked in cages for years, slowly going insane; friends and family killing each other for survival; babies injected with drugs or genes meant to awaken some kind of power in them. Ino wouldn't wish for her worst enemy to go through these things. _It's only been a week._

What she doesn't expect is a little girl, maybe nine years old, sitting on the stool in their awfully small interrogation room number five. Her eyes are pitch black, like a reversed byakugan, and there's an enigmatic smile on her face. Ino tells herself to calm down and braces herself mentally as she sits opposite the child. 

"Hello, I'm Yamanaka Ino, head of the Interrogation Section. What's your name?" It feels like the girl's eyes are looking straight through Ino. 

"Tomoko." 

"Okay, Tomoko. I know you might feel scared being here all alone with scary-looking ninjas around, but we are helping you and the other rescued people here. I need to—"

"It's not bad," Tomoko says. "I can't see the scary guys anyway." 

Ino wants to slap herself. _Of course_ her eyes aren't a natural thing. She hums quietly. 

"I need to look into your memories for a bit, okay? I'll put a hand on your forehead for that, but you have to promise me you'll be still and calm. Just try to clear your mind." 

"Okay." Tomoko nods her head. 

Ino gets to work. She tries to ignore how cold the girl's skin is against her palm. She closes her eyes and channels her chakra to her arm and head. She makes sure to sneak in some medical chakra as well, because the poor child looks like she's about to pass out. 

The door to one's mind often reflects the person's subconscious. Ibiki-san's is a big gate made of steel and hard to get through; Choji's a sliding door made out of hardwood. Tomoko's a set of three smooth, black doors, seemingly locked. It's not new to Ino, so she makes sure more chakra is flowing to her head and opens the door by force. Tomoko shakes slightly under her hand, so Ino's second arm comes up to gently rub her back. 

When she's finally in, Ino can feel her blood boil. Of course the child won't remember everything clearly, but there are various images flashing in front of Ino. From what she can decipher, Tomoko was born at one of the laboratories. She can't see her mother anywhere, so she figures she died during birth. Then, she sees Kabuto with his disgusting smile plastered on his face, needle in his hand. After that, a lot of monsters and mutated inmates, and a lot of bright chakra. So bright that Ino can't see much more except a colorful light. At last, she sees Tomoko's reflection in a small, broken mirror before the light flashes again. She had beautiful green eyes. This is where it ends. 

She takes her palm off Tomoko's forehead and sighs. It's easy to connect the dots — she had an amazing sealing power, but most of her chakra flew into her eyes. With appropriate drugs she could seal anything she looked at with her eyes, and when she was no longer needed, she was forced to use her technique on herself. 

Ino quickly transports the information she gained into a special data collecting tool and turns back to the girl. "Tomoko, did the people who brought you here say anything?"

"Just to wait until someone else comes." 

Ino nods her head, forgetting that she can't see it. She takes her hand and stands up, the girl following her. "I'll take you to one of my friends now, and you'll wait there some more, okay?"

All of the previous children either had parents or extended family members, or even adults they met at the laboratories, but from what Ino saw, Tomoko has no one and she refuses to let it be. The walk to Ibiki-san's office doesn't take them long, but the talk he gives Ino makes up for it. 

"I'm _busy,_ Ino," he hisses through gritted teeth as Tomoko takes a seat on the small couch in the corner of the room. Ino guesses she either always has been or developed a sensor's abilities due to blindness. 

"No, you're not. You already sent Shino to do most of your tasks around the village and the building, and all you have to do is the paperwork piling up on your desk. You can talk to her or summon one of your weasels to keep her company, come on," she whines and puts on her best pleading puppy face. "Just until I'm done with interrogations!"

Ibiki sighs, but Ino knows he still has a weak point for her, just like when she was a little kid and her dad used to bring her to work from time to time, making Ibiki babysit her. " _Fine_. But I'm not doing any babysitter work after that." 

"You're the best." 

When Ino comes home with Tomoko, she already has memorized what to say to her mother. Only, she's not there. What Ino finds instead is dinner in the fridge and a note from her mom at the kitchen counter, telling her not to worry and that she needs to take care of some business for the flower shop. That's convenient. 

"Do you need help with bathing or eating?" She's seen a lot at the hospital. It's nothing new to her, and she's willing to help. Tomoko only shakes her head. 

"I just need to know where your bathroom is." 

She's been very positive about Ino taking her home, and Ino's heart clenches at the very thought. This girl has never had a _home_ before. Who knows if this won't be her first time sleeping on an actual bed. There's no way Ino's handing her over to the orphanage or just out into the world. 

She makes sure Tomoko has a set of fresh clothes waiting for her and then goes to call the one person who has experience with overly confident orphans, as Ibiki-san has called her. 

" _Ino! What makes you call your second favorite sensei at this hour?_ " Ino sighs. Guy sensei had started calling himself that after she asked him for taijutsu training shortly before war. 

"Sensei… Let's say I accidentally found an orphaned kid who's a bit of an asshole apparently and I don't want her to end up at Konoha's mercy; what do I do?" 

" _Ah, I see the younger generations are starting to form their future genin teams already,_ " the man laughs. " _Bring her to the hospital tomorrow, we'll figure something out. And if we don't, I can always sign some adoption papers._ " 

Ino understands why his team has never let anyone criticise him. Guy sensei may be a bit weird and bursting with energy, but he's also the kindest person Ino knows, and Team Guy probably found a father in him. "Thank you so, so much." 

" _Don't mention it! That's why us old men are here for._ " She can picture his trademark smile and smiles herself. Maybe he really is her second favorite sensei. 

* * *

Sakura sits outside of Guy's room with Ino as she waits for him to stop talking with Tomoko. Ino likes how she looks in her work attire; turquoise and white suit her well and the high ponytail makes her face more visible. 

"And you just brought her home like that?"

"Yeah? What else was I supposed to do? Let her go somewhere? She doesn't know anything about the outside world, she was brought up in a _laboratory_ , like one of these rats we practiced on with Tsunade-sama." 

"That's… Okay, that's not as stupid as it sounded at first. Well, whatever Guy sensei decides to do, I'm sure it'll be fine. Anyway, how is the new Yamanaka Clan Head?" Sakura nudges her with an elbow and Ino lets out a laugh. 

"Angry. Tired. In the mood for anarchy." 

"Boring. Tell me something new." 

"They won't let me handle any serious stuff until I'm twenty, but I can go to clan meetings and approve some things with the Yamanaka seal. And as one of the leaders of current Ino-Shika-Cho I'm kind of above Konoha's law. I could punch the Hokage and they'd let me go just like that." 

Sakura lets out a hum. "It's nice that you don't have a _marriage first, position second_ rule or anything. I heard the Akamichi clan has one." 

"Choji still has some time before old man Choza decides it's time for the new generation to take over. Besides, he and that Hidden Cloud girl who beat Naruto up before are going out." 

" _What_. You're kidding." Sakura's mouth hangs open and Ino raises a hand to close it. Her thumb gets dangerously close to Sakura's bottom lip. 

"I would never lie to my best friend, you know that." Except for being in love with her, that is. "Just because we have no luck in love doesn't mean others do." 

And it makes both of them lean their heads on the wall behind them. It's true, they have the worst luck — Sakura stuck with Sasuke and not being able to see anyone else and Ino never dating any girl for longer than two months because that's the longest she can go without thinking about Sakura.

"I think I'm over Sasuke," Sakura whispers to the empty hallway and Ino suddenly feels weightless. "I think I was over him since Naruto came back, but I still had the cool and handsome twelve years old _Sasuke-kun_ on my mind when I thought about him. And then I met him again, and he tried to kill me." 

It doesn't sound like a sudden revelation; it sounds like something Sakura thought over a few times already, like something she considers a _fact_. There isn't a lot she can reply with without sounding happy. "It's better for you like this." 

"I know." She lolls her head to the side and looks at Ino. "I'm sorry I was such an ass to you because of him. He was never worth it." 

Ino never imagined for this conversation to take place in an ugly hospital hallway in the middle of the day. She imagined it happening at night in her room when Sakura was staying over. She imagined them kissing after. The most she can do right now is squeeze Sakura's hand. Things never go along with her plans with Sakura. 

"We all do stupid things as kids. It's okay, it's not like I'm innocent here." She freezes as Sakura lays her head on her shoulder. She's so _warm_. 

"Do you want to go to the festival next week?" Her heart is about to explode. It's nothing more than a friendly invitation, just like during their genin days, but Ino lets herself think it's not for a short while. "We have a lot of time to make up for."

"Sure." It'd be so easy to kiss Sakura's forehead, she notices. 

She'd like to sit there like this for longer, to let the warmth of Sakura soothe her and to inhale the smell of oak, antiseptic and light perfume, but she's not allowed to do that as the door next to them opens and Tomoko invites her inside. Sakura smiles and leaves, and Ino can only stretch on the uncomfy chair as she stands up. 

"Ino! How nice it is to see you!" Guy sensei may be lying in the hospital bed, attached to various machines and with his legs probably crushed into something Ino wouldn't want to see, but he's still full of energy. 

"Hello, sensei. It's nice to see you too, are you feeling any better?" Guy taps the side of his bed and Ino takes a seat. 

"Better than ever. I can't say so about my lovely students, unfortunately." The mood gets heavy and Ino wants to say something, but he's faster. "But I know that they'll be back on duty very soon! They have the power of youth in them! And now, back to your little friend over there…"

"I'm not little!" Tomoko protests. Ino understands why Naruto dotes on Konohamaru so much. 

"She is in an orphan, and her eyes are indeed sealed with a strong technique, which helps us a lot in this case. If we notify the Hokage, she can stay for as long as they're unsealed, and after that we can think of a way to make her an official Konohagakure civilian. Since you're a clan head, you can officially offer her shelter for now, too." 

Ino puts her hand on Guy's forehead and connects with his mind. " _How strong do you think she is?_ " she asks and thanks the gods for her ability. 

" _Too strong for her age and body. They probably messed with her chakra a lot in the laboratory. Her sealing power is close to that of Uzumaki Mito._ " 

" _Is unsealing her eyes even possible?_ "

" _I see three possible resolutions. First, Tsunade-sama is strong enough to unseal her. Second, Naruto has a natural talent for sealing in his chakra and unseals her. Third, Uchiha Sasuke's new rinnegan eye._ "

" _I'm leaving Sasuke as a last resort, then._ " 

She brings her hand down and turns to Tomoko. She's standing at the foot of the bed obediently, the deep purple of Ino's old clothes making her appear even more pale than she is. 

"We're leaving, Tomoko. Thank you, sensei. I'll pay you back somehow!" she says over her shoulder as she leads the girl out of the room. 

She really hopes Tsunade-sama or Naruto are able to take off the seal, because she has no intention of asking _Sasuke_ of all people for help. As they walk towards the exit, she spots a familiar figure inside one of the rooms through an open door. 

Shikamaru's sitting on a rusty stool next to a bed surrounded by a ton of different machines, his head lowered. She could tell Tomoko to wait for her and check up on him, maybe tell him to go home and rest. But she knows he won't listen, and she can't blame him; she'd do the same if she was in his place. She makes a mental note to tell Choji they need to visit Shikamaru soon. 

"Tomoko, what do you say we go eat ramen?" 

"I never had it. They gave us pills at the laboratory; they weren't bad, but could use some more flavor." 

"I'm sure you'll like it. Ichiraku Ramen is the best in the whole world." 

* * *

"I think," Choji says as the three of them are sprawled on the floor a few days later, "we should take a long trip after everything settles down."

Shikamaru hums. "Sounds nice, but it's going to take a _long_ time. Naruto's not even out of the hospital yet, and the Raikage refuses to speak to The Fifth before that." 

"Oh, for Sage''s sake… Can't we get rid of the Kages? Come on Maru, there has to be a smart way to overthrow like… Every single ninja government." Ino holds up her hand and looks at her newly painted nails. 

"There's a few, actually. They're all too bothersome, though." He earns himself a kick to the shin. "But what we _could_ do is change the Raikage." 

"That'd be great." Choji stretches. "More practical too."

Ino sighs and stands up. "I'm going to make myself tea, don't miss me too much."

Once she's in the kitchen, a big smile appears on her face. She missed spending time with them like this, without war strategies and voices heavy with grief. Now they're back to how it was before, in comfy pajamas, Ino's facemasks and whatever dumb things on their minds. Most importantly, Shikamaru is doing just fine ever since Neji's injuries stopped being life-threatening, something both she and Choji have been waiting for. He still doesn't sleep enough and smokes way too much, but they can see just how much _lighter_ he feels. Neji is so lucky to have him, she thinks. 

The water boils and Ino fills her cup. It's hibiscus tea, the same one Sakura brought her from one of her missions as a gift. Ino doesn't really like the taste of it, but it makes her think of Sakura whenever she drinks it, so she makes herself one cup everyday like an idiot. It's the same now as she takes a sip; she thinks of Sakura's head on her shoulder, of the smile she gave Ino, of the festival in two days. She can't help but feel giddy at the thought; her and Sakura going around Konoha for the whole evening, picking a good spot to watch the fireworks, celebrating the start of a new era. Maybe even kissing, if Ino gathers up courage to confess (she won't — the rational part of her knows it's too soon to bombard Sakura with new feelings after she just realized what's her relationship with Sasuke). 

She enters the guest room as she's walking back to her own and feels her heart grow sizes. Her mom and Tomoko are asleep on Tomoko's bed, an opened book on her mom's lap. To Ino's small surprise, her mom had nothing bad to say about Tomoko staying with them until the matter of her eyes was resolved and even longer than that. Tomoko started spending a lot of time with her. Ino thinks it's kind of therapeutic for them — her mom can focus on something else than their recent loss and Tomoko finally has a mother figure in her life. She goes back to her bedroom only to find Choji reading one of her fashion magazines and Shikamaru next to the window, cigarette in hand. 

"I'll kick your ass if my room smells like cigarette smoke," she informs as she sits down next to Choji. 

"Fine, fine." Shikamaru puts the cigarette out on the windowsill and comes back to their place on the floor. "By the way, what did Tsunade say about Tomoko?"

"That she'll try her best once the hospital gets less crowded. Tomoko does mind waiting, so we're doing exactly that." She skims her eyes around the pages Choji has open. 

"What about Neji?" Choji asks, and Shikamaru doesn't flinch or stiffen for once. 

"His injury isn't that serious anymore, but we don't know how long the coma will last. I don't want him to miss the changes he fought for." He leans back on his hands. "Enough of the serious talk. What's up with you and Karui?" 

Choji blushes furiously and Ino giggles. "Yeah, tell us! She had the guts to beat up Naruto, I wanna know more."

"You guys are _awful_."

* * *

Konoha looks different yet exactly the same, Ino thinks as she walks around the village with Sakura. The damage Pain and Divine Tree caused is still visible, but the atmosphere is still like it was before any of these happened, just like Ino remembers from her Academy days. There are lanterns everywhere, along various colorful decorations, all handmade. The kids are either running around in masks with toys in their hands or trying to catch a goldfish. Teuchi-san's voice is loud amongst the crowd, advertising his new special edition ramen. Everyone's unwinding, trying to go back to the carefree days, and Ino can't say it doesn't make her feel better. 

"It's a shame Naruto won't get to taste the new ramen," Sakura mentions as they walk by the stand. She's dressed in a pastel pink yukata, a fan Ino bought her minutes a go in hand. 

"I thought they let him out of the hospital yesterday."

"Yeah, to go _home_ and rest. What the dumbass did, though, was use rasengan on guards and sneak into Sasuke's hospital room." Ino recalls Sakura telling her he was moved from his cell after Sakura's intervention. If she's correct, his room was close to Neji's. "It took six jonin and Sasuke himself to get him out and Tsunade sama got fed up, so he's back in a hospital bed." 

Ino snorts. "That's very _Naruto_ , if you think about it."

"It is." Sakura smiles. Ino can see it's more sad than not, but chooses to not say anything about it. "How's Tomoko?"

"Great. She's running around with Konohamaru right now, probably. It's nice to see she's making friends here." 

They hear the sound of a gong nearby, signaling only thirty minutes left until the fireworks. "If we hurry up we might get good spots," Sakura says and starts pulling Ino in the direction everyone's going in. Ino stops and turns Sakura to face her. 

"I already have a spot in mind. Come on, trust me." She takes Sakura's hand in hers and goes to the other end of the town. The Hokage Mountain is surprisingly empty once they climb up (shinobi skills are useful in more cases than battle) and Ino lets go of Sakura only once they're sat on The First's head. Sakura doesn't take her palm away; their pinkies are still touching and Ino thinks she might have a heart attack. 

They can see everything from there; the centre of the village, the stands, the clearing where everyone's gathered. Ino's eyes stop at the monument symbolizing the Will of Fire, visible even from there. She tenses up involuntarily, causing Sakura to look at her questioningly. She follows Ino's line of sight and lets out a quiet _oh_. "I don't know what to say to make you feel better," she says finally. "I'm not the best at comforting people, unlike you. But I don't think your dad would have imagined a better ending of the war. I mean, of course it would've been better if no one died but… At least you're safe. All parents want that."

"You really suck at talking." They both chuckle. "But I think so, too." She makes a small pause. "Let's just enjoy the evening." Before she can say anything more, the show starts. The fireworks have different shapes and sizes, some even made to resemble the heroes of the war. Sakura laughs loudly when they take the form of Kakashi sensei and Naruto, and Ino can't bring herself to tear her eyes away from her. Her smile is so wide it makes Ino mimic the gesture and her eyes sparkle with the reflection of the sky. She's simply beautiful and Ino wants nothing more than to kiss her, but she knows better. 

The showcase ends soon after that and Ino volunteers to walk Sakura back home. All Sakura does though, is tense up and nod slightly. Ino doesn't want to push her, but she also can't stand Sakura looking like she expects to be slapped in a second, so she speaks up. "Do you want to crash at my place tonight?" 

Sakura's eyes go wide. "But you already have Tomoko there, and your mom—"

"My mom likes you. You can sleep in my bed or on a spare futon, don't worry about it. You're my best friend, after all." It wouldn't be the first time Sakura stayed over spontaneously. She used to fight a lot with her mother when she was younger and would go to Ino to talk about it. Ino supposes something similar is happening now, but she won't ask Sakura. She'll tell her when she's ready. 

When they arrive at the Yamanaka compound, Tomoko's already asleep and her mom is getting ready to go to bed as well. She reassures Sakura that it's okay for her to stay for the night and goes to her room, leaving them both in the kitchen. 

"Tea? Coffee? Hot cocoa?" Ino asks as she rummages through the shelves. She remembers Sakura didn't eat anything the whole evening. "Or maybe you're hungry?" She hears Sakura's stomach grumble before she hears a clear answer and laughs. "Okay, what will it be for you, Miss?" she mimics a chef they met on one of their joint missions who wouldn't leave Sakura alone. 

"I'd kill for your tsukemen right now. But even fried rice sounds like a feast after whatever they're serving at the hospital." Sakura lays her head on the table and sighs. 

Ino smiles and walks closer to her. "You shouldn't overwork yourself, you know? You can't help others if you're not healthy yourself." She reaches to run her hand through Sakura's hair before she can think about it, but Sakura doesn't seem to mind. "I don't have stuff for tsukemen, but I can still make you something better than the hospital food. You can go take a bath and prepare the bed for yourself in the meantime." 

It's nothing new to them; when they used to work at the hospital together Ino had to remind Sakura to take care of herself daily, sometimes even dragging her home by force to sleep more than thirty minutes on a break. It's like a habit now, making sure she's okay. Shizune once told her she acts like a doting wife, to which Ino blushed furiously and started stuttering. 

But maybe she does act like that, Ino thinks an hour later when Sakura's laying in her bed, trying to sleep. Ino had to fight her for the futon and won only because Sakura was tired. She's about to go to sleep herself when she hears rustling from above and sees Sakura staring down at her. "Can you come up here?" She's _pouting_. Sakura almost never pouts. Ino climbs the bed probably faster than she should and lies down facing her. 

"I can't sleep anyway, so I'm going to explain myself," Sakura announces, even though the tiredness in her voice is very easy to hear. "Ever since we came back, my mom started being impossible to be around. I thought we were past the fighting stage, but she had to comment on everything I was doing. She started telling me that being a ninja isn't a good plan for the future, that I'm not suited for the medic work, that I should focus on finding a boyfriend," Ino tries not to focus on the tone she uses when she says that word, "and she just… She makes me feel bad about myself." 

She looks so _small_ and Ino's heart breaks. All she can do is pull her into a hug and try not to get angry on Sakura's behalf. It reminds her of the days when they were kids and someone bullied Sakura — Ino was ready to beat the kids up, but Sakura would cling onto her arm and beg her not to — it stayed the same even until now. Sakura can't get mad at her mother without feeling guilty afterwards, so she rarely talks back or complains, and Ino is the one who gets mad instead. "Saku… You can stay for as long as you want. And don't you dare think anything she says is true! You're a great ninja and one of the best medics after Tsunade sama and who cares about your love life? You're amazing and she's blind."

There's a sleepy smile on Sakura's face and Ino melts. "Thank you," she whispers and closes her eyes. At last, Ino feels something warm on her cheek and corner of her mouth and before she can register it was Sakura's mouth, her friend is already fast asleep. Ino, however, stays awake for the whole night, still holding Sakura close. 

* * *

It's barely eight in the morning when she shows up at Choji's doorstep looking like a mess. 

"So let me get this straight," Choji starts, sitting opposite of her on the couch. "You spent the whole evening and night together yesterday, she told you all that, you complimented her and she kissed you." 

"On the cheek," Ino adds, voice gravely serious. 

"On the cheek," he repeats. "And you think it was a _friendly_ kiss." He looks at her so judgingly it feels unlike him. 

Ino's quick to defend herself. " _She was tired!_ And she just got over Sasuke. And she doesn't see me as anything more than a friend." 

"Ino." Choji takes her hand into his. "I've known you since we were little kids and you're my best friend, but you're genuinely the stupidest person I've met. Do you invite me and Maru to your bed and kiss us last thing before falling asleep?" She hates the fact that he's making a point. 

"...No." She averts her eyes from his face. 

"Exactly. That kiss was _not_ friendly and what you will do now is go to Sakura and _talk_."

That's the thing she and Shikamaru hate about asking Choji for advice — he tells them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear, and is always right. 

"What if it doesn't work out?" Ino asks, voice small. That's what she's scared of the most. She's not scared of confessing; she had enough time to understand and accept her thoughts and feelings. She's not scared of rejection; she made herself ready for that years ago. She's scared of everything working out for a few months, maybe even years, and then becoming strangers with one of the most important people in her life. 

"Then I'm taking back what I said about you being the stupidest person I've met. You've been next to her whenever she needed support and made sure she's okay more than you cared about your own well-being. Hell, you even asked me for recipes to make her bento when you were studying under Tsunade sama. If she won't appreciate that, she's as bad as Sasuke," he finishes. "But I doubt that will happen." The smile he sends her gives her a final kick to stand up and face whatever lies ahead of her and Sakura's relationship. 

"Thanks." She hugs him and turns around. She can do it. 

"You might want to brush your hair first!" Choji shouts after her. Ino's too far to hear him. 

Somehow she knows exactly where Sakura is. It takes her a few minutes to reach the forest and navigate herself there, but when she spots a tree with hollowed trunk and a pink haired girl sitting next to it, it feels weirdly like coming home. The place hasn’t changed in a bit.

"Hey." She smiles as she plops down onto the grass. 

"Ino! You weren't there when I woke up, so I thought maybe Ibiki-san needed your help… Are you okay? You look pale." Ino catches the hand that's supposed to check her temperature and puts it down. 

"I'm— I'm okay, physically. Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you." She isn't going to let the lump in her throat stop her. She's a shinobi, for Sage's sake! "Last night, before you went to sleep you… You kissed me. I wanted to ask if you remember it."

Sakura goes red all over. "You— I— Oh _gods_ , I thought it was just a dream!" She covers her face with her hands. "Just. Forget about it please? I know you probably think I'm weird or whatever now, but this really doesn't have to get in the way of our friendship. Just ignore it, unless it freaked you out that badly. I mean— I'll understand…"

Ino's brain feels like it's restarting. Sakura's still rambling, but the sound is muffled, the words _forget it_ and _get in the way_ replaying in her mind like a broken record. Her breathing gets faster and she can hear her heart thumping loudly in her chest. _Sakura feels the same._

"...no? Ino, are you listening?" Sakura is looking at her with worried eyes. "I said you don't have to—"

"I thought we agreed you suck at talking, Billboard Brow," is all Ino says before she takes Sakura's face in her hands and kisses her. 

* * *

The next month goes smoothly; Tsunade sama and Sakura both work on Tomoko’s case, their research getting way more successful; Ino takes care of the clan matters like an experienced leader; her old classmates are back to how they used to be before war. Everything is finally getting better. 

Strong arms circle her waist from behind and a soft cheek presses to her shoulder. _There's also that._ "Hey," Sakura greets her as Ino packs her T&I uniform into her bag. Sakura likes to pick her up from work and Ino can't complain, because it gives them additional thirty minutes alone on the road. 

"Hi." Ino turns around and kisses Sakura on the forehead, the additional three centimeters coming in handy. "How was work?" she asks as they exit the building, Sakura's hand in hers. 

"A few beaten up genin, chakra depletion and research for Tomoko. Oh, and a transplant." It's still weird to hear her talk about her work like it's nothing. Ino supposes that's what experience does to people. "I have three rookies to assist me tomorrow." She smirks. 

"Aspiring to be the head of the hospital and yet you use poor young students to do the dirty work… Unbelievable, Haruno-san." Ino pretends to fix her imaginary glasses like Ebisu does. Whenever he sees Sakura he makes a scene; she explained it's because Tsunade sama scolded him once for trying to order Sakura around during war preparations. 

"You're _awful_." Sakura jabs a finger between Ino's ribs and she squirms. "How about your work?"

"Nothing major. We had the head of an organization that sold stuff like eyes with dojutsu, then it was all paperwork. _Boring_." 

"The guy you caught with Shino?" Sakura kicks a rock and pretends she didn't hit her toe on it. Ino holds in a laugh. 

"Yeah. A real asshole. Worked with Orochimaru for quite some time." She stretches. She squeezes out memories of everyone who's ever had to do with Orochimaru to the last drop to store as much evidence as possible, which leaves her exhausted. 

Sakura furrows her brows and circles her waist with her arms. Ino's glad they always take the longer road no one else uses at that time. "Did you sleep enough? And have breakfast? If it's nightmares again—"

"Saku, _chill out_. I slept for eight hours, had every meal I should've and the nightmares are less scary ever since you got me the herbs from Suna. It's just work." Ino smiles at her and runs a hand through her hair, then lets it fall onto her back. Sakura leans her head on her shoulder. It's not the most comfortable position to walk in, but none of them care. 

Ino likes their walks. She likes that they can talk about anything or stay quiet for the whole way and it's never awkward. She likes that she can hold Sakura's hand or get hugged by her, that it doesn't feel forced or that she doesn't have to hold back now when they're alone. It helps her unwind, forget about the whole day. Sometimes she wishes they never reach her house because she doesn't want to part with Sakura, even for a few hours. 

But they're there on the doorstep, a small lamp casting a light over their faces, shadows making Sakura’s features sharper. She throws her arms around Ino’s neck and grins, her teeth showing, scarily resembling Tsunade sama. “Wanna come over tomorrow?” Ino knows what _that_ means already, and a familiar warmth spreads through her body. She nods, making Sakura chuckle. “See you, then. Goodnight,” she whispers and pulls Ino into a kiss. 

The door opens. They jump away from each other and Ino feels nauseous as she looks at her mother standing in the doorway. “I should go,” Sakura blurts out and _runs_. Ino can't blame her; she didn't bother with telling her mom about her, about them, and she would've postponed that even longer. 

She's scared of her reaction, if she's being honest. This is where the barrier between them starts — Ino can't bring herself to open up. Before, she'd tell her dad about everything, joint training and working together automatically making them closer. And her dad never judged her, always offered support, even when her mom would disagree. He knew about Sakura, of course he did; it was impossible to hide it from him, but he waited until Ino told him herself and all he did was wish her luck. There weren't any comments about if she's sure, that she should focus on the clan's lineage, that it'll go away. There weren't judging stares or coughs. And it made Ino feel comfortable enough to think she doesn't have to tell her mother, that when the time comes her dad will be here to help her with it. 

Her mother does come off as conservative, but it's not entirely true. She behaved like the clan wanted her for so many years to not cause problems for her husband that it became a part of her personality. Ino understands. Their recent conversations have been an icebreaker, showing Ino sides of her mom she didn't know existed. But even nicest people react negatively to things like _this. To people like Ino._ She knows she can just get into her mother’s mind and find out, but she doesn't want to face the consequences.

“I'm going to water the plants,” her mom says, the tone of her voice unreadable. “Care to join me?” She's already on the other side of the porch when Ino catches up. They don't talk as they enter the garden; Ino sits on an old swing set while her mom goes to work on the plants in the back. It's so silent Ino can focus on noises of the cicadas in the grass a few meters away and the rustling of the leaves. It's calming, shutting off all the negative thoughts. She's not sure how much time has passed since they've come here, but it helps; maybe her mom won't mention what happened, maybe she'll act like she didn't see them. They'll act like it never happened until Ino moves out and it's going to be fine.

Except, somehow, the universe never seems to align in the way Ino would want it to. Six Paths Sage is laughing into her face as her mom takes a seat on the other swing and looks at her; Ino stares at the ground as if it's the most interesting thing in the world. She knows there are questions coming and she doesn't want to answer them. She doesn't like to talk about it, because she doesnt know everything about herself yet. 

“Are you happy?” Is all her mom asks. It throws Ino off guard — she doesn't sound disappointed or mad. 

“Yes,” she answers after a while. Sakura makes her happier than anything else in the world.

“Then I'm happy for you.” All the weight disappears from her shoulders. She wants to cry from relief, and a few tears actually manage to come out. Her mom stands up and hugs her, Ino’s head on her stomach. “Actually, I also have something to tell you.” Ino looks up at her with confusion. “You see, I just found out recently, but it seems that before you and your dad went to war…” She looks away, a small smile on her face.

“Oh gods.” Ino sits up straight. “You're joking.” 

“I can show you the test if you don't believe me.” 

“Will you even be okay? Does anyone else know? Which month is it?” The woman laughs.

“Even Tomoko reacted in a calmer way, you know.” She pats Ino’s head. “You, Tomoko, your grandfather and a nurse know. I'm going to be fine and it's the second month.” 

“Oh. I guess I'll have to take extra shifts in the shop now.” 

“That'd be nice.” 

* * *

Life goes back to normal after a few months. Tsunade sama manages to unseal Tomoko’s eyes with Naruto’s help, and Tomoko swears she'll become a medic once she's old enough. Ino proves herself as a clan head when daimyo wants to use their jutsu for a political scheme. She and Sakura go public at the same time her mom finds out she's going to have another daughter. 

Ino visits her dad’s grave once a week. She talks to him a lot, about everything; it feels like he sits next to her and listens. Like he watches over her. 

And for the first time in her life everything goes like she wanted it to. 

**Author's Note:**

> im gonna be honest this was a bitch to write but i couldnt find any post war sakuino fics that would satisfy me in 100% so this is the outcome. comments and kudos appreciated!!!


End file.
